While most online sites are running satellites to the World Series of Poker main event, PokerStars remains the place where more seats will be won than anywhere else. This year, PokerStars will again send at least 1,000 players to the main event.
In fact, since 2002, PokerStars has sent more than 3,600 players to the main event. The prize package this year is worth $12,500. That package includes a $10,000 main event buy-in, $2,500 for expenses, and eight nights at the Palms (players who last longer will be given extra days). Supernova and Supernova Elite members will receive room upgrades. Click here to take advantage of a desosit bonus offered through CardPlayer.com.
How to Qualify
There are several ways to get into the main event through PokerStars. Direct multitable qualifiers cost $33 plus rebuys and run daily. PokerStars also spreads $55 quad shootouts (they start when 256 players are registered and feature four players per table), $215 double shootouts, $475 multitable tournaments, $650 multitable tournaments, and $1,050 multitable tournaments. Satellites for all of these events cost as little as $2 (plus rebuys), and most of these tournaments have specific paths to get into them where the cost varies. Most satellites are listed at $4.40, $8.80, $11, $16, $27, and $80. The best way to understand just how many paths there are to the WSOP is to download the software, click on the “events” tab, and then the “WSOP” tab.
Steps Qualifiers
This year, PokerStars is also running six-tier “steps” satellites into the main event. These single-table sit-and-gos start at $7.50. Place in the top two in the first step and move on to step two, which costs $27 to buy into directly (finish third and win another shot at the first step).
Place first or second in the second step and move onto step three, which costs $82 to buy into directly (third and fourth place get to try step two again, while the fifth-place finisher gets to try step one again).
Place first or second in the third tier, and move onto step four, which costs $215 to buy into directly (third-, fourth-, and fifth-place finishers get to try step three again). Finish first or second in step four, and move on to step five, which costs $700 to buy into directly (third place gets to try step four again, fourth and fifth place drop back down to step three, and sixth place gets to try step two again).
Finish first or second in step five and move on to the final step, wherein a $12,500 prize package is awarded. Players who finish third or fourth in step five repeat step five again, while players who finish fifth or sixth drop down to step four.
Second- and third-place finishers of the final step win $1,500, fourth and fifth win $1,000, and the sixth-place finisher wins $500.
Bonus Money to be Won
PokerStars is also giving bonuses to players who make the final table and win the main event. Win the thing, and PokerStars will pay you an extra $1 million. Finish second, get an extra $400,000; third, $300,000; fourth or fifth, $200,000; sixth through ninth, $100,000. Also, cash bonuses of up to $50,000 are offered to players who make it to a WSOP TV table. Players must sport PokerStars gear to qualify for the bonuses.
Again, please click here to take advantage of a deposit bonus offered through CardPlayer.com.
